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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #165 on Oct 6, 2010, 4:00am »
[image]

* From: AFP
* October 06, 2010 7:05PM

[image]
A member of the Litoria genimaculata group, a frog with extremely variable colour patterns and distinct yellow spots in the groin in the Muller Range mountains / AFP Source: AAP

[image]
A tiny, long nosed frog in New Guinea's remote Muller Range / AFP Source: AAP

[image]
A pink-eyed Caedicia, one of the 42 individuals of the leaf katydids (subfamily Phaneropterinae) in the Muller Range mountains found by scientists Piotr Naskrecki and David Rentz / AFP Source: AAP

SCIENTISTS today unveiled a spectacular array of more than 200 new species discovered in the Pacific islands of Papua New Guinea, including a white-tailed mouse and a tiny, long-snouted frog.

The survey of remote New Britain island and the Southern Highlands ranges, accessible only by a combination of small plane, dinghy, helicopter and foot, found an exciting range of new mammals, amphibians, insects and plants.

"To find a completely new genus of mammal in this day and age is pretty cool," said lead researcher Steve Richards of the new mouse species discovery.

"I mean, people have heard of birds of paradise and tree-climbing kangaroos and stuff, but when you look even closer at the small things you just realise that there's a staggering diversity out there that we really know nothing about," he told AFP.

Papua New Guinea's jungles are one of just three wild rainforest areas, along with the Amazon and the Congo basin, left in the world and Richards said they were a vast "storehouse" of biodiversity, with scores of new species found by his Conservation International team.

[image]
A montane mouse found in the Nakanai Mountains, Papua New Guinea / AFP Source: Supplied

[image]
A new species of Anelosimus from the Nakanai Mountains of New Britain, one of four new species of this genus previously not documented from Papua New Guinea / AFP Source: AAP

The "very, very beautiful mouse", the two-centimetre (0.8 inch) long-snouted frog and another with bright yellow spots were among the highlights, but the expedition documented 100 new species in each of the spider and insect orders alone, he said.

"I would say that pretty much no matter where you go in New Guinea you're guaranteed to pick up new or poorly known spectacular species," said Richards, an expert in frogs and reptiles who is based in Cairns, Australia.

"For some lesser known groups only half of the things that we document actually have names, we aren't even a fraction of the way there," he added.

The rugged, mountainous and largely inaccessible terrain meant biologists had not even been able to enter some regions and Richards said there were "large areas of New Guinea that are pretty much unexplored biologically".

Sample animals were taken of a number of species, including the mouse, and genetic testing had confirmed that it was not related to any known creature, he said.

"These kind of discoveries are almost kind of a good news story amongst all the gloom," he said, referring to the creeping extinction of other creatures.

"There really are spectacular species still out there and there really is a potential for things to survive."

http://www.news.com.au/features/environm....5#ixzz11ZDFwlUT
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #166 on Oct 21, 2010, 7:05pm »
Mystical goliath tiger fish caught on camera

* Lee Taylor
* From: news.com.au
* October 21, 2010 9:46AM

[image]
The tigerfish has 32 teeth that are of similar size to those of a great white shark. Picture: ICON/BNPS.co.uk

AFTER an eight-day monster battle a British fisherman has caught one of the world's most fearsome freshwater fish.

Angler Jeremy Wade wrestled the 5ft-long goliath tigerfish during a fishing expedition along the Congo River in Africa.

The tigerfish - believed to be a deadlier version of the piranha - has 32 teeth that are a similar size to those of a great white shark and has been known to attack humans and even crocodiles, the UK's Daily Mail reports.

[image]
Jeremy Wade quickly poses for a pictured with the monster tigerfish. Picture: ICON/BNPS.co.uk

Mr Wade reeled in the 45kg beast as part of aTV show about mythical reports from around the world of humans being attacked by unknown monsters from the deep.

“'It is very rare to catch one, especially by an outsider because they are found in such a remote and difficult location to get to,” Mr Wade said on the show River Monsters.

“There are no guides or lodges on that part of the Congo River.”

Mr Wade said he used catfish as bait for the tigerfish and a 91kg rod and line.

He said he feared handling the monster fish and had to stand back from it until it was safely in his landing net.

“It is a very dangerous fish to handle. If you aren't careful it could easily take your finger off or worse,” he said.

After carefully avoiding the creature’s razor-sharp teeth while posing for photos, Mr Wade said he returned it to the river soon afterwards


http://www.news.com.au/travel/world/myst....#ixzz13 2b45D1E
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"In the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet, breathe the same air, and we all cherish our children’s future."

John F. Kennedy
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #167 on Nov 1, 2010, 6:55pm »
New to Nature No 22: Selitrichodes globulus

A gall-inducing wasp, discovered in California

* Quentin Wheeler
* The Observer, Sunday 31 October 2010

[image]
The larva of Selitrichodes globulus. Photograph: Gevork Arakelian

A new species of gall-inducing wasp, Selitrichodes globulus, has been discovered in Los Angeles County, California, attacking blue gum, Eucalyptus globulus, among the most widely grown eucalypts in the world.

Introduced into California in the mid-1800s, the tree has naturalised and spread widely earning the wasp a place on the state's list of exotic plant pests. The extent to which the newly named wasp might help in biological control is yet to be established. Scientists are almost certain that the wasp is an invasive species introduced from its native Australia, although it has not yet been seen there. As human commerce increases, so too do incidents of introductions of foreign species.

Quentin Wheeler is director of the International Institute for Species Exploration, Arizona State University

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/o....s-new-to-nature
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #168 on Dec 6, 2010, 11:23pm »
New Microscopic Life Aboard the RMS Titanic

[image]
The view of rusticles on the wreck of RMS Titanic. (Credit: Image courtesy of RMS Titanic Inc.)

ScienceDaily (Dec. 6, 2010) — A brand-new bacterial species has been found aboard the RMS Titanic, which is contributing to its deterioration. The discovery reveals a potential new microbial threat to the exterior of ships and underwater metal structures such as oil rigs.

The researchers, who report their findings in the latest issue of the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology published on 8 December, isolated the micro-organisms from a 'rusticle', collected from the RMS Titanic, 3.8 km below the ocean surface.

The novel bacterium has been named Halomonas titanicae by the scientists from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada and the University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain. The team also tested the rusting ability of the bacterium -- and found that it was able to adhere to steel surfaces, creating knob-like mounds of corrosion products, which they will be reporting in an upcoming paper.

A similar bacterial corrosive process is thought to be responsible for the formation of the rusticles -- which resemble rusty icicles -- that adorn the hull of the RMS Titanic. While these appear to be solid structures, rusticles are highly porous and support a complex variety of bacteria, suggesting that H. titanicae may work in conjunction with other organisms to speed up the corrosion of the metal.

The RMS Titanic was made up of 50,000 tons of iron and has been progressively deteriorating for the past 98 years.. Lead researchers Dr Bhavleen Kaur and Dr Henrietta Mann, from Dalhousie University explained that the role of microbes in this process is now starting to be understood. "We believe H. titanicae plays a part in the recycling of iron structures at certain depths. This could be useful in the disposal of old naval and merchant ships and oil rigs that have been cleaned of toxins and oil-based products and then sunk in the deep ocean."

For decades following the sinking in 1912, the Titanic’s final resting spot remained a mystery. Discovered by a joint American-French expedition in 1985, the wreck is located 3.8 kilometres below the ocean surface and some 530 kilometres southeast of Newfoundland. The discovery confirmed that the ship had split apart; the stern and the bow were located 600 metres apart from each other and are facing in opposite directions.

In the 25 years since the discovery of the wreck, Titanic has rapidly deteriorated.

But while the disintegration of Titanic means preservation is impossible on the ocean floor, the bacteria may be useful in accelerating the disposal of other old ships and oil rigs. Further, it could also help scientists develop paints or protective coatings to guard against the bacteria for working vessels.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Society for General Microbiology, via AlphaGalileo.

Journal Reference:

1. C. Sanchez-Porro, B. Kaur, H. Mann, A. Ventosa. Halomonas titanicae sp. nov., a halophilic bacterium isolated from the RMS Titanic. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2010; DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.020628-0

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101206093225.htm
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"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third, it is accepted as self-evident."

Arthur Schopenhauer, Philosopher, 1788-1860

"In the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet, breathe the same air, and we all cherish our children’s future."

John F. Kennedy
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #169 on Jan 6, 2011, 12:46am »
Vampire flying frog found in Vietnam

Posted 17 minutes ago

An Australian scientist has discovered an unusual species of frog in southern Vietnam.

The vampire flying frog uses its webbed toes to glide between treetops.

But it earned its nickname because the frogs' tadpoles have strange black fangs.

Australian Museum scientist Dr Jodi Rowley, who found the frog, says it is the first time fangs have been discovered in a tadpole.

"We don't know of anything quite like this that's for sure, so we're taking a lot of time to work out why on Earth they have these fangs," Dr Rowley said.

"Maybe it's got something to do with what they eat.

"They breed in very small pools of water that are found in the holes in the trunks of trees, so maybe they eat something particularly strange up there."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/06/3107721.htm?section=justin

Further:

Vampire Flying Frog

[image]

Description

The Vampire Flying Frog Rhacophorus vampyrus

Photographer: Jodi J L Rowley
Rights: © Jodi J L Rowley/Australian Museum
Common name: Vampire Flying Frog
Scientific name: Rhacophorus vampyrus
Family: Rhacophoridae
Order: Anura
Location: Vietnam

Additional information

A new species of flying frog has been described from the southern highlands of Vietnam. The new species has been given the scientific name Rhacophorus vampyrus, or the Vampire Flying Frog, after the unusual tadpole of the new species. Tadpoles have a pair of “fangs” on the underside of the mouth.

Rowley, JJL, Le, TTD, Tran,TAD, Stuart, BL, & Hoang DH (2010). A new tree frog of the genus Rhacophorus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from southern Vietnam. Zootaxa 2727: 45–55.
http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2010/f/zt02727p055.pdf

http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/Vampire-Flying-Frog
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #170 on Jan 21, 2011, 10:56pm »
Newly Discovered Group of Algae Live in Both Fresh Water and Ocean

[image]
A collection of rappemonad cells photographed by a high-powered microscope. Each cell contains at least two chloroplasts (green dots) and a nucleus (blue dots). (Credit: Kim, Harrison, Sudek et al. PNAS 2010)

ScienceDaily (Jan. 21, 2011) — A team of biologists has discovered an entirely new group of algae living in a wide variety of marine and freshwater environments. This group of algae, which the researchers dubbed "rappemonads," have DNA that is distinctly different from that of other known algae. In fact, humans and mushrooms are more closely related to each other than rappemonads are to some other common algae (such as green algae). Based on their DNA analysis, the researchers believe that they have discovered not just a new species or genus, but a potentially large and novel group of microorganisms.

The rappemonads were found in a wide range of habitats, in both fresh and salt water, and at temperatures ranging from 52 degrees to 79 degrees Fahrenheit. According to MBARI Senior Research Technician Sebastian Sudek, co-first-author of the paper reporting the discovery of these algae, "Based on the evidence so far, I think it's fair to say that rappemonads are likely to be found throughout many of the world's oceans. We don't know how common they are in fresh water, but our samples were not from unusual sources -- they were from small lakes and reservoirs."

Researchers Sebastian Sudek, Heather Wilcox, and Alexandra Worden of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), along with collaborators at Dalhousie University and the Natural History Museum (NHM), London, discovered these microscopic algae by following up on an unexpected DNA sequence listed in a research paper from the late 1990s. They named the newly identified group of algae "rappemonads" after Michael Rappé, a professor at the University of Hawaii who was first author of that paper.

Following up on their initial lead, the research team developed two different DNA "probes" that were designed to detect the unusual DNA sequences reported by Rappé. Using these new probes, the researchers analyzed samples collected by Worden's group from the Northeast Pacific Ocean, the North Atlantic, the Sargasso Sea, and the Florida Straits, as well as samples collected from several freshwater sites by co-author Thomas Richards' group at NHM. To the teams' surprise, they discovered evidence of microscopic organisms containing the unusual DNA sequence at all five locations.

Although the rappemonads were fairly sparse in many of the samples, they appear to become quite abundant under certain conditions. For example, water samples taken from the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda in late winter appeared to have relatively high concentrations of rappemonads.

When asked why these apparently widespread algae had not been detected sooner, Sudek speculates that it may in part be due to their size. "They are too small to be noticed by people who study bigger algae such as diatoms, yet they may be filtered out by researchers who study the really small algae, known as picoplankton."

Sudek says, "The rappemonads are just one of many microbes that we know nothing about -- this makes it an exciting field in which to work." Worden, in whose lab the research was conducted, and who first noticed the unique sequence in the 1990 paper, then initiated research to "chase down" the story behind that sequence, continues, "Right now we treat all algae as being very similar. It is as if we combined everything from mice up to humans and considered them all to have the same behaviors and influence on ecosystems. Clearly mice and humans have different behaviors and different impacts!"

Even though DNA analysis demonstrated that rappemonads were present in their water samples, the researchers were still unable to visualize the tiny organisms because they didn't know what physical characteristics to look for. However, by attaching fluorescent compounds to the newly developed DNA probes, and then applying these probes to intact algae cells, Eunsoo Kim at Dalhousie was able to make parts of the rappemonads glow with a greenish light. This allowed the researchers to see individual rappemonads under a microscope.

The greenish glow highlighted the rappemonad's "chloroplasts," which contain the unique DNA sequence tagged by the new probes. Chloroplasts are used by plants and algae to harvest energy from sunlight in a process called photosynthesis. Because all of the rappemonads contain chloroplasts, the researchers believe they "make a living" through photosynthesis. However, Worden points out that it still needs to be shown that the chloroplasts are functional.

One of the primary goals of Worden's research is to study marine algae in the context of their environment. Worden feels that such an approach is imperative to understanding how rappemonads and other microorganisms affect large-scale processes in the ocean and in the atmosphere. In coming years her lab will be building upon their recent insights, including the discovery of the rappemonads, to study the roles that different algal groups play in the cycling of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the ocean.

Worden says, "There is a tremendous urgency in gaining an understanding of biogeochemical cycles. Marine algae are key players in these cycles, taking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen, which we breathe. Until we have a true census of marine algae and understanding of how each group thrives, it will be very difficult to model global biogeochemical cycles. Such modeling is essential for predicting how climate change will impact life on earth."

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

Journal Reference:

1. E. Kim, J. W. Harrison, S. Sudek, M. D. M. Jones, H. M. Wilcox, T. A. Richards, A. Z. Worden, J. M. Archibald. Newly identified and diverse plastid-bearing branch on the eukaryotic tree of life. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2011; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1013337108

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110120151633.htm
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #171 on Feb 4, 2011, 7:52am »
"Extinct" Salmon Discovered in Japanese Lake
Finding the fish was "was incredible, unbelievable," expert says.

[image]
The "extinct" kunimasu salmon (bottom) compared with the more common hiramisu. Photograph courtesy Sakana-kun, ANAN

Julian Ryall in Tokyo

for National Geographic News

Published January 31, 2011

A Japanese salmon thought to have been extinct for 70 years has been discovered in a lake near Mount Fuji.

The kunimasu salmon, also called the black kokanee, is a subspecies of sockeye salmon that's found only in Japan. Unlike true sockeye, which migrate between freshwater and the oceans, the many types of kokanee salmon live and reproduce entirely in lakes.

The kunimasu was believed to have been wiped out in the 1940s after a hydroelectric dam raised acidity levels in the fish's only home, Lake Tazawako (map) in northern Japan's Akita Prefecture. Salmon are sensitive to water's acidity, and drastic changes in pH can affect young salmon's survival.

A seemingly unsuccessful 1935 program to release kunimasu eggs in Lake Saiko, in the foothills of Mount Fuji, had been forgotten—until recently, when the head of a local fishing association sent an odd sample to a Japanese television personality who is obsessed with fish.

Sakana-kun—a nickname meaning Mr. Fish—is best known for appearing on TV in his trademark white laboratory coat and blowfish-shaped hat. His self-taught expertise earned him the title of visiting associate professor at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.

"The kunimasu salmon is very close in appearance to the common himemasu salmon, a species of landlocked sockeye salmon, except that one that was sent to me was green and black instead of the more common silver color" of the himemasu, Sakana-kun told National Geographic News.

Aware that the specimen was unusual, Sakana-kun sent the fish to Tetusji Nakabo, a professor of ichthyology at Kyoto University, where 17 samples of the extinct salmon had been preserved.

"When I first looked at it, I realized it might be a kunimasu," Nakabo said. "But it took me one month to confirm beyond a doubt my initial suspicions. At that moment, I felt it was incredible, unbelievable.

"Kunimasu is still alive!"

"Extinct" Salmon Not That Tasty

Further studies at Lake Saiko revealed four distinct characteristics that marked the kunimasu salmon apart from other close relatives in the fish world, Nakabo said.

The first indicator was that the kunimasu spawns in March, while the himemasu spawns in the fall. The newly rediscovered species also spawns at a depth of between 98 and 131 feet (30 and 40 meters), a behavior not seen in other species in Lake Saiko.

The final clues came from the number of gill rakers—bony, finger-like projections on the gill arches of filter feeders—and the structure of the pyloric caeca, finger-shaped stomach pouches that secrete digestive enzymes, Nakabo said.

The experts now think that some ten thousand kunimasu salmon inhabit Lake Saiko, which is fed by underground water from Mount Fuji, keeping its deepest reaches at the constantly cold temperatures the salmon prefer.

People living near Lake Saiko had long caught the "extinct" fish, but the himemasu tasted better than the kunimasu, which was often thrown back, Sakana-kun said. The TV host added that he had wanted to taste the kunimasu that was sent to him, but he opted not to because it was the only one he had.

The Japanese government is now in the process of removing the kunimasu from its list of extinct species and drawing up plans to protect the fish's last known habitat.

"The ecosystem of Lake Saiko—including both the local people and the fish—should be preserved," Nakabo said.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/....imals-scien ce/
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"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third, it is accepted as self-evident."

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"In the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet, breathe the same air, and we all cherish our children’s future."

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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #172 on Feb 26, 2011, 7:46pm »
New Bird to Science Emphasizes the Critical Need to Conserve the Remaining Dry Forests of Madagascar

[image]
Mentocrex beankaensis is a new species of forest-dwelling rail. (Credit: Illustrations by Velizar Simeonovski; Copyright The Field Museum)

ScienceDaily (Feb. 23, 2011) — In a recent issue of the scientific journal Zootaxa, researchers from Madagascar and the United States described a new species of forest-dwelling rail. The new bird was named Mentocrex beankaensis, with the genus Mentocrex being endemic to Madagascar and the new species beankaensis being coined after the type locality, the Beanka Forest in western central Madagascar. This species was distinguished from another in the same genus, known from the eastern portion of the island, based on aspects of size, plumage, and DNA.

The project resulting in this description was the joint efforts of scientists from the University of Antananarivo and Association Vahatra in Madagascar and the Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution at The Field Museum in Chicago. Marie Jeanne Raherilalao and Steve Goodman conducted the morphological portion of the study, and the molecular genetics aspects by Nicholas Block, a graduate student with the University of Chicago's Committee on Evolutionary Biology who is based at The Field Museum.

The dry forests of western Madagascar have been drastically reduced in size. Estimates proposed by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) indicate that 97 percent of the original forest cover in this portion of the island has disappeared since humans arrived some 2,500 years ago. Over the past decades these remaining dry forest areas have been the sites of numerous discoveries of plant and animal species new to science. The Beanka Forest is a largely intact area resting on exposed limestone formation with razor-sharp pinnacle like structures, which are known in Malagasy, the language of Madagascar, as tsingy.

The Beanka Forest in a remote portion of the island is managed since late 2007 by the Association Biodiversity Conservation Madagascar (BCM) and funded by Bioculture (Mauritius) Ltd., which has started programs for the socio-economic development of surrounding communities, forest restoration, and the conservation of the site. The director of BCM, Mr. Aldus Andriamamonjy, notes, "We [BCM] have taken an approach to the conservation of the Beanka Forest resting on working in unison with local people to fulfill aspects of their economic and development needs and bestowing a sense of natural patrimony of the organisms that live in their forest. These are aspects critical for any long-term successful project. The discovery of this new species of bird and other organisms during the late 2009 expedition underlines the importance of our mission and the uniqueness of the Beanka Forest."

In late October to early November 2009, the Association Vahatra, in collaboration with BCM and several other research groups working on the flora and fauna of Madagascar, organized a large-scale biotic inventory of the Beanka Forest, a zone of about 14,000 hectares. This is the period when a specimen of the new rail was obtained and that led to the naming of this new species.

Several new species of plants, invertebrates and vertebrates were discovered and Mentocrex beankaensis is the first of a series from the expedition to be named. Dr. Marie Jeanne Raherilalao, Professor at the University of Antananarivo and Association Vahatra, mentioned, "that even after many decades of research, nature is always full of surprises, even for organisms such as birds that have been intensively studied. The recent rediscovery in the northern portion of the island of the Madagascar Pochard, a species that was thought to be extinct and the discovery of this new species of rail, are cases in point. This underlies the importance of field research and biotic inventories."

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Field Museum.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110223163609.htm
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"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third, it is accepted as self-evident."

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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #173 on Mar 26, 2011, 10:40pm »
Maquipucuna Cloud Forest in Ecuador Yields New Species of Yeast

[image]
Saturnispora quitensis. Source: http://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/Maqu...._Yeast_999.html

ScienceDaily (Mar. 15, 2011) — In a unique collaboration between scientists from the UK, Ecuador and Réunion, a new species of yeast has been discovered growing on the fruit of an unidentified and innocuous bramble collected from the biodiversity-rich Maquipucuna cloud forest nature reserve, near Quito, in Ecuador.

"We are actively looking for new yeasts with the ability to ferment plant material to produce bio-energy," said Dr Steve James from the National Collection of Yeast Cultures at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich.

The collection of yeasts at the institute is already used for bread and brewing as well as many other biotechnological applications. They are also studied for their role in causing food spoilage and human infections.

The scientists have named the new yeast, which produces characteristic Saturn-shaped spores, Saturnispora quitensis in honour of the residents of Quito, who are known as the Quiteňos.

The Maquipucuna Reserve is the gateway to the Chocó Andean Corridor, one of Earth's top three biodiversity hotspots. The Reserve harbours at least 350 species of birds or 4% or Earth's bird diversity, 45 species of mammal, more than 250 species of butterflies and over 2200 plant species including a rich diversity of epiphytes.

The team has a further 300 to 400 yeasts to characterise, isolated from a wide variety of insects and plants collected in Ecuador. Other related species have been isolated in neotropical regions from a variety of sources including flies, flowers, forest soil, insect droppings, leaf litter, tree bark and exudate, and wild mushrooms.

The findings show the importance of biodiversity-rich regions, not just for the iconic animals and plants chosen as flagship species but for lesser-known organisms, many of which are of microbial origin that can be used in green technologies.

Professor Javier Carvajal is lead scientist of the Ecuadorian team from the Colección de Levaduras Quito Católica (CLQCA) at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador.

"Dr Carvajal and his team are boldly going into habitats never previously explored by yeast biologists," said Dr James.

"It's exciting not only to see and describe the new yeast biodiversity from this neotropical region, but also to look for species with novel biotechnological properties."

"It also seems a strange coincidence that a yeast found on the Earth's equator should produce spores reminiscent in shape to that of the planet Saturn, which has rings orbiting around its equator!"

The work was funded with a competitive strategic grant from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Norwich BioScience Institutes, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Journal Reference:

1. S. A. James, G. M. Cadet, E. J. Carvajal, P. B. Portero, K. Cross, C. J. Bond, I. N. Roberts. Saturnispora quitensis sp. nov., a yeast species isolated from the Maquipucuna cloud forest reserve in Ecuador. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 2011; DOI: 10.1099/ijs.0.030759-0

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110315103739.htm
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #174 on Apr 1, 2011, 7:17pm »
Polar bear Knut died by drowning

Updated 2 hours 47 minutes ago

[image]
Knut suffered an inflammation of the brain, which caused him to collapse before he drowned (AFP: Johannes Eisele)

Celebrity polar bear Knut died by drowning, the Berlin Zoo has announced, as thousands of outraged fans planned a demonstration against the zoo's plan to stuff the animal.

Knut, who won worldwide fame as a cute cub who defied long odds of surviving after his mother rejected him, died suddenly in front of hundreds of stunned visitors on March 19, aged four, after he fell unconscious into a pool of water at his enclosure.

The polar bear suffered from encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, which caused him to collapse before he drowned, a necropsy has indicated.

Knut would have probably died from brain swelling if he had not drowned, officials said.

"In the end, Knut actually drowned," Achim Gruber, managing director of the animal pathology institute at Berlin's Free University, told a news conference.

Mr Gruber said "severe brain damage that he suffered from for quite some time" caused uncontrollable muscle spasms.

The zoo's plan to stuff the 200kg predator for display at Berlin's Natural History Museum has been met with resistance by fans.

A demonstration, "Stop the Stuffing of Knut," is planned in front of the zoo tomorrow.

Hundreds of entries on the zoo's online commemorative book urge the zoo to halt its plans to stuff Knut.

"Please don't stuff Knut. Leave him be and build him a memorial," one entry read.

Knut was rejected by his mother after he was born in December 2006 and hand-reared by his keeper Thomas Doerflein.

Thousands of visitors came to watch the keeper and cub play together, and Knut's fame spread internationally.

Mr Doerflein also died young at age 44, in 2008, from a heart attack.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/02/3180512.htm
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #175 on May 17, 2011, 9:05am »
Fish species discovered in Bali

A two-week marine survey conducted by scientists with Conservation International (CI) in Indonesia, along with local partners, led to the discovery of eight potentially new species of fish and a potentially new species of coral in the waters surrounding Bali island.

The team observed that commercially important reef fish were severely depleted. In over 350 man-hours of diving, the team observed a total of three reef sharks and three Napoleon wrasse – a stark contrast with a healthy reef system where a diver would expect to encounter this number of large reef predators in a single dive.

[image]
Cardinalfish (Apogon)
Photograph: Gerald Allen/Conservation International


[image]
(Bubble coral) Euphyllia
Photograph: Mark Erdmann/Conservation International


[image]
Goby (Grallenia)
Photograph: Gerald Allen/Conservation International


[image]
Garden eel (Heteroconger)
Photograph: Gerald Allen/Conservation International


[image]
Dottyback adult (Manonichthys)
Photograph: Gerald Allen/Conservation International


[image]
Juvenile dottyback
Photograph: Gerald Allen/Conservation International


[image]
Fangblenny (Meiacanthus)
Photograph: Gerald Allen/Conservation International


[image]
Cardinalfish (Siphamia)
Photograph: Mark Erdmann/Conservation International


[image]
Sandperch (Parapercis)
Photograph: Gerald Allen/Conservation International


http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/ga....4650839&index=0
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #176 on May 24, 2011, 7:28am »
23 May 2011 Last updated at 16:04

Top ten new species

[image]
The pancake batfish (Halieutichthys intermedius) was found in the Gulf of Mexico, and walks along the sea floor using its fleshy fins. It is one of the top ten new species of 2010 announced by the International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University.

[image]
At two metres long, the Philippines fruit-eating Golden spotted monitor (Varanus bitatawa) is the longest new species included in this year's top ten, announced annually to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Carolus Linnaeus, who initiated the modern system of classifying plant and animals.

[image]
The pollinating cricket (Glomeremus orchidopilus) is the only animal that pollinates the endangered orchid Angraecum cadetii on Réunion in the Mascarene Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. It is also the only cricket or grasshopper species that pollinates a flower.

[image]
Darwin's bark spider (Caerostris darwini) was discovered in Madagascar. It makes some of the largest webs known, reaching 25 metres across, and produces silk that is more than two times stronger than silk made by any other spider.

[image]
The mushroom (Mycena luxaeterna) is bioluminescent, emitting a bright yellow-green light. Found in the Atlantic forest of São Paulo, Brazil, the tiny 8mm diameter fungus was given the Latin name for "eternal light" after a movement in composer Mozart's "Requiem".

[image]
Walter's duiker (Philantomba walteri) was first found in a bushmeat market in West Africa. The discovery surprised scientists, as antelopes are considered to have been well studied. Its appearance in the market underscored the impact the bushmeat trade can have on rare species.

[image]
Psathyrella aquatica is a mushroom that lives underwater. The gilled fungus was found in the cold, flowing waters of the upper Rogue River in Oregon, US, and can spend up to 11 weeks fruiting under the water's surface.

[image]
Tyrannobdella rex means "tyrant leech king". This new species has a single jaw with enormous teeth and was found up the nose of a person, attached to their nasal mucous membrane. Scientists know of up to 700 leech species but suspect thousands more exist.

[image]
Saltoblattella montistabularis is a cockroach that jumps just like a grasshopper. Prior to its discovery, jumping cockroaches were known only from the Late Jurassic Period, around 150 million years ago.

[image]
A transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of Halomonas titanicae, a new bacterium found growing on the wreck of the RMS Titanic, which sunk in 1912 after striking an iceberg. The bacterium consumes iron-oxide that forms on the wreck.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/13500847
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #177 on Jun 1, 2011, 11:12am »
[image]

Elephant calf meets the press

Source: Joe Klamar, AFP
Published: Wednesday, June 1, 2011 7:19 AEST

A newborn female Asiatic elephant calf, born on April 15, 2011, parades before the cameras at Ostrava Zoo in the Czech Republic on May 31.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/photos/2011/06/01/3232267.htm
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #178 on Jun 10, 2011, 2:43am »
'Laughing' cicada among new species found in Philippines

Scientists have discovered 300 new species, including 200 new marine invertebrates, 11 new fish, and 40 new spiders

* Sunshine Lichauco de Leon
* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 9 June 2011 15.17 BST

[image]
One of the new species - a barnacle - that has been discovered in Philippines. Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

A shark whose markings make it appear camouflaged for the desert and "laughing" cicadas are among 300 new species discovered by scientists in the Philippines.

The six-week expedition of 35 US and Filipino experts led by the California Academy of Sciences discovered 200 new marine invertebrates, 11 new fish, and at least 40 new spiders.

The scientist John McCosker told AFP the team discovered several small catsharks with brown backs, dark stripes and white bellies, colours which he had never seen on any other shark before.

Dr Terry Gosliner, curator at the California Academy of Sciences, said the Philippines' complex geological history made it a goldmine of new life forms: "This is the place where the action is. The Philippines has more diversity on land and sea than any other place on earth."

Most of the marine exploration was focused on the Verde Island Passage, a deep-water channel separating the island of Luzon from Mindoro for at least 60m years. "If the Philippines is the centre of marine biodiversity, this area is the centre of the centre. It's been very stable for so long that marine life has really flourished," said Goslinger.

The hunt for new species on land was focused on four relatively unexplored mountains on the southern island of Luzon, which face threats from climate change, deforestation and poaching.

Among the other discoveries, the entomologist Ireneo Lit said his team had found a cicada that made a sound like high-pitched laughter.

"The local residents were afraid of them. They thought the laughter was from dwarves, laughing dwarves," he told AFP of the insect found on 2,158-metre Mount Banahaw, a volcano on Luzon.

Gosliner has been studying the Philippines for 20 years and says he is encouraged that many protected shallow water areas are in better shape than when he first arrived.

However, the expedition was concerned by the state of deeper waters. "There were a lot fewer fishes than I would have expected and a lot more plastic," said Goslinger. "We used nets dragging from our trawler to explore areas deeper than 80 metres and each of our 40 trawls brought up lots of plastic in their nets – in some cases more plastic than life. The ocean is being overfished and clearly used as a garbage dump."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/20....ies-philippines

New species discovered in Philippines – in pictures

A six-week expedition of 35 US and Filipino experts led by the California Academy of Science discovered 200 new marine invertebrates, 11 new fish, and at least 40 new spiders

* guardian.co.uk, Thursday 9 June 2011 15.42 BST

[image]
Fish-swell shark
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Mysmenidae micro orb
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Acusilas spider web
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Thelyphonida, a type of scorpion
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Barnacle species
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Soft coral species
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Nudibranch species
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Nudibranch species
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Nudibranch species
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Nudibranch species
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Segmented worm species
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Starfish species
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences

[image]
Fish-eel species
Photograph: California Academy of Sciences


http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/ga....5502532&index=0
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Re: There's a new polar bear in the world... II
« Reply #179 on Jun 28, 2011, 1:43am »
More than 1000 new species found in New Guinea

Posted on 27 June 2011

Lutz Obelgonner

[image] [image]
The most striking new reptiles identified in New Guinea in the last decade are the three new monitor lizards discovered on tiny islands off the Vogelkop (Bird's Head) Peninsula of Papua in Indonesia. © WWF / Wayne Harris

[image]
Orchid (Dendrobium spectabile), Papua New Guinea. The forests of New Guinea harbour a rich variety of flowering plants. Orchids are the prime example of this plant diversity, and 100 new orchid species from New Guinea were officially described between 1998 and 2008 alone. © WWF / G.R. Allen

[image]
Chilatherina Alleni rainbow fish. New Guinea has some of the most beautiful freshwater fishes found anywhere, including gobies, gudgeons and rainbow fish. Rainbow fish are small but breathtaking in colour, varying from a single vivid colour to a spectrum.

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea - A remarkable 1,060 new species have been discovered the island of New Guinea from 1998 to 2008, but poorly planned and unsustainable development - particularly from logging and forest conversion to agriculture - is putting many of these unique creatures at risk, a new WWF study finds.

Final Frontier: Newly Discovered species of New Guinea (1998 – 2008) shows that 218 new kinds of plants - close to 100 of which are orchids - 43 reptiles and 12 mammals, including a unique snub-fin dolphin, have been found on the tropical island over a ten year period.

* Final Frontier: Newly discovered species of New Guinea (1998 - 2008): http://assets.panda.org/downloads/new_guinea_new_species_2011.pdf

Added to the tally is an astounding 580 invertebrates and 134 amphibians, 2 birds and 71 fish, among them an extremely rare 2.5m long river shark.

“This report shows that New Guinea’s forests and rivers are among the richest and most biodiverse in the world. But it also shows us that unchecked human demand can push even the wealthiest environments to bankruptcy,” says Dr. Neil Stronach, WWF Western Melanesia’s Program Representative.

Untouched rainforest

New Guinea is the largest tropical island on Earth and is divided between the countries of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the East and Indonesia in the West. It contains the third largest tract of rainforest in the world after the Amazon and the Congo.

[image]

This mysterious island covers less than 0.5 per cent of the Earth’s landmass but shelters 6 to 8 per cent of the world’s species. Over two thirds of these species are found nowhere else on earth.

It is also home to Asia’s most pristine rivers and wetlands. Its natural gifts also extend to the reefs surrounding New Guinea, in the heart of the Coral Triangle, which have the world’s highest concentration of coral and reef fish.

“If you look at New Guinea in terms of biological diversity, it is much more like a continent than an island,” says Dr. Stronach. “Scientists found an average of two new species each week from 1998 – 2008 – nearly unheard of in this day and age,” he says.

No fewer than seven brightly colored new species of rainbow fish were identified in PNG and Papua in Indonesia over the ten-year period, including Allen’s rainbow fish (Chilatherina alleni).

WWF scientists added to the known orchid diversity found on the island, collecting hundreds of orchids in PNG’s Kikori region. Eight of these were new to science, including the ornate and exquisite firework-like display of the Dendrobium spectabile orchid.

Alarming rate of forest loss

“Despite its remote location, New Guinea’s natural habitats are being lost at an alarming rate. The island’s forests are facing serious threats including logging, mining, wildlife trade and conversion to agriculture, particularly oil palm,” says Dr. Eric Verheij, Conservation Director, WWF Western Melanesia.

In PNG between 1972 and 2002, independent studies have shown that 24 per cent of rainforests were cleared or degraded through logging or subsistence agriculture.

The same studies point out that the forest clearance rate for forests accessible to industrial logging is up to 3.4 per cent annually, much higher than previously reported.

China buys close to 82 per cent of PNG’s timber exports each year, representing a total volume of over two million cubic meters. Studies suggest 70 per cent of this logging is illegal.

Demand for palm oil is also destroying many of New Guinea’s most valuable rainforests. Large forest areas on the island (and across the region) are being cleared for oil palm monocultures, destroying critical habitat for many endangered species. The destruction of these forests, which are usually cleared by burning releases huge amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere and accelerates climate change.

However, many oil palm producers in New Guinea and around the world are pursing certification through the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), the world’s most credible sustainable palm oil initiative. Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) guarantees that social and environmental safeguards have been met during production. And importantly, CSPO also assures that high conservation value forests haven’t been cleared.

Based on the first chapter of WWF’s new Living Forests Report, more than 230 million hectares of forest will disappear around the world by 2050 if no action is taken. The report proposes that policymakers and businesses unite around a goal of Zero Nett Deforestation and Degradation (ZNDD) by 2020 as a global benchmark to avoid dangerous climate change and curb biodiversity loss.

“As a region with high rates of poverty, it is absolutely essential that New Guinea’s precious reefs, rainforests, and wetlands are not plundered but managed sustainably for future generations,” says Dr Susanne Schmitt, New Guinea Programme Manager at WWF-UK.

“Environmental protection and economic development must go together to ensure the survival of New Guinea’s unique species and natural habitats,” added Dr. Schmitt.

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we....d-in-New-Guinea
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"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, and third, it is accepted as self-evident."

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